Truck-frame.



Nu. 690,06|. Patented Dec; 3|, I901.

A. KLOS E.

TRUCK FRAME.

(Application filed Eeb. 5, 1901..)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-$heet l.

No. 690,06l. Patented Dec. 3|, I90l. 'A. K'LOSE.

TRUCK FRAME.

. [Application filed Feb. 5, 1961. (No Modal.) 3 Sheets-Shoot 1 THE mums P215215 00 moraumo wnsmum'cma. c.

N0. 690,06l. Patented Dec. 3|, l90l. A. KLOSE.

TRUCK FRAME;

(Applicafiion filed Fab. 5, 1901.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets8heet 3.

Nrrnn STATES PATENT O rricfn.

ADOLPH KLOSE, OF CHAR LOTTENBURG, GERMANY.

TRUCK-FRAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 690,061, dated December 31, 1901.

Application filed February 5, 1901. Serial No. 46,072. (No model,

. ing to obtain all the advantages which otherwise in the vehicles driven by electricity are due to the fact that the front axle is able to swivel around the riding bolster and that the wheels attached to said front axle are driven directly. Especially my new arrangement intends to avoid all the disadvantages connected with all the pivoted front axles, this being only possible by using sliding swivel-axles.

My invention relates also to means for affording a quite perfect and rational elastic suspension of the motor, the latter, as well as its bearings and brushes, being more easily accessible than in all the existing arrangements. Further, according to my invention the cooling of the motors while the same are running is effected by the air-draft in a very favorable manner.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views,Figure 1 is an elevation, and Fig. 2 a side view, ofa carriage constructed according to my invention. Fig. 3 isa plan showing diagrammatically the turn of a carriage; Fig. et, an elevation of a detail belonging to the object of Fig. Fig. 5 shows a plan of a heavy carriage, the underframe of which is designed in accordance with the above data.

In Fig. 1 the electromotor E drives the shaft 0 by means of a universal joint or knucklejoint I). g is the elevation of a bevel-wheel which is rigidly attached to the front wheel.

In Fig. 2 the motor E is connected to the supportingplate e by means of the flanges a, said supporting-plate being fixed to the carriage in a suitable manner. The shaft 0 is connected to the shaft d in such a manner that a longitudinal displacement of these shafts relatively to each other is possible, a distortion of the same being impossible. The power is transmitted by means of the universal joint e to the bevel-wheel f and from the latter to the bevel-wheel g. The bevelwheelfis journaled in the vertical trunnion of the axle-arm m and secured against a displacement by means of the cap or cover Z. Owing to this arrangement it is possible that the bevel-wheels f and g are always meshing together in a perfect manner. Through the position of the wheel 70 the angles of the two bevel-wheels are determined.

In Fig. 3, V and V are the driven front wheels, which in a manner already shownin Figs. 1 and 2 are controlled or actuated by bevel-wheels. The turn of the axle is transmitted by means of the parallelograms pp and q q to the front wheel V. In the same way the transmission of turn to the front wheel V is operated by means of the gearwheel 1-.

Fig. 4 shows the levers q and q of the parallelogram, by which lovers the turn is transmitted, by means of the vertical trunnionj, disposed in the sleeve j, to the axle-arm n. fis the driving bevel-wheel.

In Fig. 5 motion is imparted by means of four elect-romotors E, all the wheels being subjected to the turning movement at once. 0 is the center of the curve passed by the carriage. The power is transmitted, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, tothe bevel-wheels g, rigidly connected to the wheels. The turning movement is obtained by means of the trapeziums s. The motion of the latter takes place with the aid of a hand-wheel, which rotates by means of a bevel-wheel s and the large bevelwheel F, the shaftt being rigidly connected to the latter. By means of the cranksu and a, connected to the shaft 2, and by means of the rods u and o the turn is transmitted to the parallelograms. The cranks u and it while the carriage is running normally are in a vertical position in contradistinction with the drawings .in which these cranks are turned down in order to show the actual length of same.

The advantages and mode of operation of the new arrangement are the following: The present runningear of the front axle permits a yielding or lowering of the front part ICO enced thereby-namely, while in all the clastic motor suspensions proposed until now every oscillation of the motor produces a great acceleration or retardation of the mutual gear motion of the toothed wheels meshing together, the shaft d, which has a triangular or quadrangular section, will in the present case simply be displaced in the hollow shaft or sleeve 0. In case of side oscillations of the vehicle, which still represent only a small fraction of the vertical yielding, the universal joints 2) and e enter into action. A simple graphical test is sufficient for proving that the angle of deflection is very little in such a case and that the same is scarcely greater than five degrees even if the carriage has a very oblique position. Now this point is of very great importance with regard to the uniformity of power transmission, because in all other systems in which power is transmitted by means of a universal joint the power of transmission has not the sufficient uniformity, as great angles of deflection occur not only in case-of side rocking movements, but particularly with regard to vertical oscillations. The plan Fig. 3 shows that front wheels driven in this manner can be provided wtth axes which can turn to a great range without the gearwheels being badly influenced in the slightest manner. For this purpose parallelograms are provided which keep the wheels parallel even if curves of very short radius are to be passed and permit that the carriage can turn at once; but of course other dispositions than parallelograms can be used which also allow a quite correct obliquity of the front wheels. It is of great importance that in all these dispositions the sliding gear is not affected by the transmission-gear. The named plan shows that the left motor must turn from the left to the right, While the right one must turn from the right to the left if the carriage is to run forward. Further, the mutual tooth-pressures compensate each other in every position. In the arragement shown in Fig. 5, which is based on the same principle,the turning of the carriage can be operated with a radius shorter than the total length of the .vehicle without a great displacementor turn of each single pair of wheels being necessary. Therefore. simple trapeziums can be used for allowing the turning of the carriage.

The further advantages of this system for heavy trains are that the whole weight of the vehicle can be used not only for the turning, butvalso for obtaining the necessary adhesion weight. On the other hand, the necessary range can be afforded during the running of the carriage by releasingone of the cranks u or u from the shaft t, whereby one of the wheel pairs can be set parallel to the carriageaxle, although still the vehicle is able to operate in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

Itis to be remarked that in contradistinction with other constructions in which the front running-gear is combined with sliding turnaxles the motors are disposed over the wheels in the present case,while in the constructions already known the motors are arranged sidewise. Owing to this fact and to the other features of the new arrangement the turning of the vehicle is possible even if curves of a very short radius are to be passed, while, if the electromotors are disposed on the sides of the front runninggear, the turning property of the carriage is very much injured because the front axle itself prevents the turn ing as far as the angle of turn has not a small value. 1

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let= ters Patent of the United States, is=

1. In a vehicle provided with a sliding swivel-axle and having its front wheels driven by an electromotor, the combination of elec tromotor shafts journaled in the vertical prolongation of the bolts around which the front wheels can swivel, a telescopic shaft provided with a universal joint, a pair of bevel-wheels, of which the smaller one is disposed in the direction of axis of the longitudinal trunnion, the larger-one in the direction of the geometrical axis of the axle'arm and a front axle provided with a cap resting on the vertical trunnion of the axle-arm, said cap being hollowed so far as to allow the journaling of the shaft of the small transmission-wheel in said vertical trunnion, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

2. In a vehicle provided with a sliding swivel-axle, the combination of two electromotors driving the front wheels, two electromotors driving the back wheels, electromotorshafts journaled in the vertical prolongation of the bolts around which the frontwheels can swivel, a telescopic shaft provided with a universal joint, and a pair of bevel-wheels,

of which the smaller one is disposed in the direction of the axis of the longitudinal trunnion, while the larger one is arranged in the direction of the geometrical axis of the axlearm, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

3. In a vehicle provided with a sliding arranged electromotors adapted to drive a back axle not used for turning the vehicle,

substantially as described and for the purswivel-axle, the combination of two vertically- 

